The present invention relates to a drill for drilling holes into material which is used as a teaching tool for children and which reduces risks associated with its operation by an inexperienced user, such as a child.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Children""s museums and the like frequently include exhibits designed to teach children how things work and how to use different devices. Many of the popular exhibits are related to tools which are typically used only by adults. One such tool is the drill for drilling holes into materials. In these exhibits, the drills need to be designed to reduce risks associated with its operation, due to the inexperience of the potential operator, and to teach the operator how the drill operates or functions.
Some of the concerns regarding the children operating drills are the potential for the child to drill into unauthorized items, to injure other children or to injure themselves. Various devices have been developed to reduce the risk of injury to adult users of drills. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,908,272 entitled xe2x80x9cRotational Cutting Tool Guard Apparatusxe2x80x9d issued on Jun. 1, 1999 discloses compressible, spring-like guard which surrounds the drill bit. As the drill bit burrows into the material being drilled, the guard compresses, thus permitting the drill bit to burrow deeper. Various other devices have been developed which protect against individuals contacting the drill bit while the drill is being operated.
Although contacting the rotating drill bit is a concern for a drill operated by a child, there are additional concerns due to the inexperience of the user. For example, there is the concern that a child will drop the drill. There is also the chance the child would drill into inappropriate materials or things. A child would also need assistance in guiding the drill bit. In addition, the child may need to have the depth of the drilling operation restricted to a predetermined depth.
Accordingly, there is a need for a drill for drilling materials with a drill bit which is supported substantially perpendicularly over the materials, which has limited upward and downward movement, which reduces the likelihood of direct contact with the drill bit, which is balanced and which is relatively facilely drilled into and out of the materials.
This need is met by a drill in accordance with the present invention in which the drill includes a helix screw for locking the drill and an overhead support mechanism for supporting the drill.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a drill having a drill bit for drilling material includes a helix screw having a helix groove therein and rotatably connected to the the drill bit. A support block interacts with the helix groove to retract the drill bit from the material when the helix screw is rotated in an appropriate direction. A key pin in the support block travels in the helix groove to support the support block. The helix groove may include a short level section in which the key pin is position when the drill is locked. Preferably, a center of mass of the support block is substantially tangential to the helix screw at the key pin.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a drill having a drill bit for drilling into a material comprises a support mechanism for supporting the drill bit and a helix screw having a helix groove therein and rotatably connected to the support mechanism. A support block travels along the helix groove such that when the helix groove is rotated the drill bit is moved translationally.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.